Today’s column is actually a paper I presented at the International Islamic Conference organized by the Jama’atu Izalatil Bid’ah Wa’ikamatis Sunnah in Nigeria, in collaboration with the Makkah-based Muslim World League, between 17th and 19th of March 2016, in Abuja, under the theme of ‘Security and Stability in the Face of Contemporary Challenges’. However, due to space constraint, I will serialize it over the next few weeks, God willing, barring any need to postpone a particular part(s) in the series in order write on another issue. Enjoy…
Today’s world is defined by mysterious paradoxes and inexplicable contradictions that affect our lives as human beings. Though, we are supposedly civilized, culturally and socially refined, yet real peace isn’t only increasingly elusive, but the alarmingly growing pervasiveness of violent conflicts across the world and the sheer barbarism that characterizes them are perhaps unprecedented in human history.
Besides, even against the backdrop of the current unprecedented technological advancement that has practically eliminated geographical barriers between races and nations, facilitated communal integration, revolutionized human lifestyle and indeed transformed the world into a global village, real global peace remains increasingly hard to achieve.
Moreover, though communication and information technology has facilitated easy flow of knowledge to the extent that it (i.e. knowledge) nowadays virtually pursues people, so to speak, instead of the other way round, which enables people to easily acquire expertise in all aspects of knowledge, including humanities, yet mutual suspicion based on baseless stereotypes and unfounded prejudices, which should have ordinarily disappeared as a matter of course, still persist and continue to fuel disharmony and dissension among people.
Likewise, despite the growing rate of sub regional, regional, continental and indeed global socio-political, economic and strategic partnerships and alliances, which have facilitated geopolitical proximity among countries, and interaction between people as individuals and communities, real peace continues to elude the world anyway.
From the protracted wars and armed conflicts ravaging some parts of Africa, for instance, to the fully fledged civil wars and looming wars between countries in the Middle East, the persistent proliferation of organized violent crimes in the Americas, rising rate of hate and intolerance related violence in Europe, the story remains the same and the future looks gloomy.
Obviously, this situation is not only paradoxical, but absolutely unjustifiable as well.
This is, therefore, a modest attempt to identify the underlying dynamics that hamper the achievement of real and sustainable global peace today, despite the existence of the tremendously favorable circumstances to attain and enjoy it.
It will, of course, be presented in the context of Islamic perspective that harnesses these favorable circumstances towards the achievement of real and sustainable global peace, without compromising its moral and ideological values.
The persistent failure to attain and sustain real global peace today despite the supposed global commitment towards achieving and maintaining it by governments, sub regional, regional and international governmental organizations, underscores the urgent need to review the adopted approach in this regard, which is basically an approach to achieve security, which, by the way, doesn’t necessarily guarantee real peace.
Interestingly, though security and peace are inseparably connected, as neither can be defined nor achieved in the absence of the other, yet, real and sustainable security can only be achieved against the backdrop of real and sustainable peace, which, in fact, represents the necessary background for adequate security to prevail, as a matter of course.
In other words, real and sustainable global security can’t be achieved, let alone sustained in a vacuum. It’s instead achieved and maintained against the backdrop of real and sustainable peace. After all, the mere absence of violence doesn’t actually mean real peace.
Besides, though failure to achieve real and sustainable global peace is rightly attributed to many factors, pursuing it by disproportionately focusing on security measures at the expense of other equally imperative factors remains one of the serious impediments that impede the achievement of both.
This, therefore, underscores the need to come up with a redefined and much wider concept of peace, and draw up unanimously agreed legal, political and administrative mechanisms on its bases to achieve and maintain sustainable global peace accordingly.
In any case, Islamic religion maintains the most comprehensive, hence the most realistic universally applicable concept of peace; the meaning of which transcends the mere absence of violence, of course. In Islamic perspective, the concept of peace encompasses, among other things, real peace of mind, real peace among people with diverse racial, cultural, ethno-religious backgrounds and other differences, and, of course, real peace among countries, which collectively translate into real global peace.
Though global peace in particular is our topic in this regard, it’s nevertheless pertinent to briefly point out how real peace of mind particularly facilitates the achievement of real peace in all other aspects of life, and indeed how peace achieved against its backdrop is particularly sustainable. Real peace of mind is basically achieved by wholeheartedly embracing the Islamic religion, and acting according to its divine doctrines and moral values.
The concept of Islamic Monotheism i.e. *Tauheed* as represented by Kalimatush-shahaada that maintains that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah the Almighty, and that the prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is his messenger, perfectly embodies perfect peace of mind, which represents the perfect foundation for the achievement of real peace in all other aspects of life.
Accordingly, a Muslim rightly considers himself the vicegerent of Allah the Almighty on earth, hence he is not only expected to comply with Allah’s commands as an individual, but he is also expected to promote whatever will facilitate the achievement of real and sustainable peace on earth. After all, in recognition of the sheer value and significance of peace, which means As-salaam in Arabic, Allah the Almighty maintains it as one of his Beautiful Names. He, the Almighty says; ‘*He is Allah beside Whom La ilaha Illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), the King, the Holy, the One Free from all defects, the Giver of security, the watcher over His creatures, the All-mighty, the Compeller, the Supreme. Glory be to Allah (High He is) above all that they associate as partners with Him’ (The Noble Qur’an, Surah 59, Al-Hashr (The Gathering), Verse 23) A Muslim, therefore, imbibes inspiration accordingly, hence enjoys peace of mind and indeed exudes it also to influence and inspire others, depending on the extent of his commitment to Islamic teachings, which govern his interaction with his fellow human beings.
To be continued…….
